When little Paul Johnston is suddenly orphaned, the young Sussex lad ends up, by a series of strange events, being brought up in Hamburg by a German businessman during the turbulent inter-war years. Moving from 1930s Germany to an English public school, the conflicting influences of his youth are forced into the open when war is declared and he must choose on which side to fight — an issue further complicated by his falling in love with a young Englishwoman.

Enduring a series of harrowing wartime experiences, from Dunkirk to the depths of a Russian winter, Paul battles to stay alive, desperate one day to be reunited with the only girl he has ever truly loved.

This compelling tale of love in a time of war will sweep you along with the young soldier in missions that cover the length and breadth of Europe, as he changes from a naive youth to a mature man.

1 review for The Triumph of Love and Liberty

Rated 5 out of 5

Book Guild–November 23, 2015

(From Amazon): At 240 pages this is a relatively short read, but a truly captivating one. It’s both a wonderfully written and carefully considered story, concentrating on relationships in front of and behind enemy lines. It perfectly captures the emotions of war, misplaced loyalty and the beliefs we all hold dear, irrespective of which side we may have chosen to fight for.

This book summary may suggest a sweeping, war-torn romance and I’ve read other descriptions saying exactly that. I’d consider it much, much more. There’s also a psychological slant, why certain people are conditioned to do what they do, and the battle scenes later in the book are drawn entirely from a human perspective.

It begins by introducing the reader to the young and lonely Paul Johnson, who lived with his parents in Brighton (although they might as well lived apart with the distance they put between them and him). His background shows how a troubled childhood would affect his thought process in later years.

When he is orphaned, Paul’s story progresses from his English roots right through to his impressionable teenage years when he begins to establish a very different life in Germany living with his ‘Uncle Heide’. Upon seeing changes in the youngster coupled with potential trouble brewing on the rise of a new era in Germany, his Uncle reluctantly decides to send Paul back to England. He hopes that by attending a boarding school, the influences of the country of Paul’s birth will be beneficial, or at the very least a distraction.

A tragic pattern formed quite early in Paul’s youth as to the sort of character he would become. He doesn’t have a likeable personality and is controlling of others his age, showing little compassion toward them. And yet, the path his life takes is absolutely fascinating.